One of Those Days
by lemonlimediddies
Summary: They're always fighting; fighting for a world where hollows are non-existent, and Aizen no longer lives-even if it takes forever. Reincarnation is an interesting concept, after all. Yaoi/AU/OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**One of Those Days: Start**

* * *

><p><strong>The park was so serene at night.<strong>

Ichigo walked calmly through the mostly vacant pathways, observing the trees with wide eyes and breathing in the warm air like it was the last he would ever take. Summer nights like these were the perfect time to walk, to see the world as it molded and changed around him, slowly but surely.

Gently mocking the gentle breeze, Ichigo weaved through the trees and off the worn path until he made it to the pond glittering as if it were filled with the most precious diamonds. The water danced and rippled with the movements of the lily pads across the otherwise still surface.

Finally, Ichigo could breath. He drew in one giant breath and released it with a smile as he gazed around his favorite thinking spot. The murmurs of people were too far off to hear, and only the occasional song of a cricket graced Ichigo's ears.

With his worries left behind, Ichigo reclined into the dry grass and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Hey, HQ."<p>

"_Hai, hai?"_

"Found 'em."

The earpiece screeched loudly as the man on the other end squealed with delight. Laughing and clapping could be heard as the man finally expressed his glee.

"_Well, then! Retrieve him, and gently this time, ne? We don't need a repeat of last time."_

The man grunted as his superior cut the connection, probably to tell the rest of the team about the new find. He let his eyes travel down to the ground and onto orange hair, and a relaxed face as well, no doubt. The tree didn't even move as the man jumped off the branch and crept along the shrubbery to his prize.

* * *

><p>The shuffling of a nearby bush roused Ichigo from his light slumber. He sat up quickly eyeing the still shaking plant with wide eyes.<p>

"A-ah, hello? Is someone there?"

Ichigo went to stand, he didn't want to be underhanded for being on the ground. The short nails dug into his skin as Ichigo balled his fists at his side. He had fighting experience, sure, but it had been awhile and he wasn't that good at it to begin with. Surely a knee to the groin would at least give him enough time to find help.

A dark figure emerged from the bush, its face covered with the white of a mask. It wasn't very big, but it crawled on all fours, coming towards Ichigo with a maniacal expression and rows of teeth covered with saliva and red stuff, Ichigo guessed it was blood. He screamed.

"H-help!" he called as he backed away from the creature still advancing on him. "Someone help me!"

Ichigo didn't think it was possible for the sound that came out of the monster's mouth to be real. He was dreaming. He was dreaming.

The high pitched sound that fell from its mouth hurt Ichigo's head, and he covered his ears as tightly as he could to block out the offending sound. It didn't help. The sound went through all of Ichigo's bearings, and soon Ichigo found himself screaming along with the monster because of the pain. The pain radiated from every bone, every muscle, every pore of Ichigo's body, and he collapsed when the sound finally stopped.

"N-no! No, help!" Even with all the pain Ichigo stood and made a run for it, half limping and half running. He didn't get far before a hand grasped his ankle and he fell graciously to the grass face first.

"**Pretty boy."**

The sound of the monsters voice caused Ichigo's gag reflex to trigger, and the vomit he was holding in came out in full force. Although small, the monster was strong, and the arm holding Ichigo's ankle suspended his body upside-down in front of its face. The foul breath rolled over Ichigo and went into his mouth, which only made Ichigo expel his contents again.

_I'm scared_, Ichigo thought to himself hysterically. _I'm so scared_.

"**I can feel the pppppower flowing throughhhh you. You are the Light, are yyyyou not?"**

"Wh-wha-!" Ichigo couldn't find his voice. The monster's sandpaper tongue flicked out to run along the soft skin of his victim's neck, and the body in his arm shuddered with disgust and fear. Ichigo let a scream out again, but he knew it was hopeless now. If no one had come before, why would they come now?

"Release him."

Ichigo was too weak to hold his eyes open, but he could still hear. The new voice was deep and commanding, with fear completely lacking in his words. He felt the monster turn to face the newcomer, and then Ichigo was flying through the air.

"Ichigo!"

It felt strange to be flying like that, with your eyes closed and the adrenaline still racing though your body. Ichigo braced for the impact, expecting it to be hard and bone-rattling, but instead he fell into warm arms and a large chest.

"Don't worry, little one. I will protect you, but I need you to open your eyes Ichigo; quickly now." This voice was deep as well, but it was more calming than strong. Ichigo didn't want to open his eyes; didn't want to see the madness around him.

"**Ggggive me the Light! Gives it to mmmmme!"**

Crashing was heard in the background, along with grunts and shouts. Someone was fighting, fighting the monster that had held him captive.

"Ichigo, please. I need to help Grimmjow. Open your eyes, you will be safe."

He did, reluctantly. The figure in front of him was blurry, and Ichigo blinked rapidly to clear his vision. A man with wavy brown hair and equally deep brown eyes looked at him worriedly. A few more shouts came from across the field, and Ichigo turned his head to get a look at the scene.

"**Sssstop this. Doooon't hurt me!"**

A man with blue hair held a sword at the monsters neck as it bled out on the ground. The blood was black, and it dripped into the once clear water like poison. Ichigo guessed that the blue haired man was the one who had saved him, the one with the deep and powerful voice. Grimmjow, maybe?

"What's happening?" Ichigo was barely able to whisper through his spent throat.

"Explanations later, I promise." Ichigo nodded and the man stood and pulled Ichigo's weak body up with him. Although he didn't know these people, Ichigo felt like he should have. The feeling of nostalgia battered on his brain, and he tried to place the faces in his mind, but it was to no avail.

"Why do I trust you?"

The other man turned as he heard the whisper, glad that the orange headed man had said 'why do I trust you' instead of 'why should I trust you', saving him the explanations at such a crucial time.

"Shinji!" the brown haired man shouted the name, causing Ichigo to flinch away from him. He pulled Ichigo back to his body, surrounding him with his arms in a protective stance.

"Calm down, little bird. Shinji is a friend."

A shorter man with blond hair ran over to him, bleeding from a few fresh cuts on his face and holding a sword as well; dripping with the same black blood he had seen earlier.

"The fuck you want, Starrk?"

"Take Ichigo to the mansion, quickly. Tell our stupid _master_ that it looks like we may be needing back-up."

It did look like they would need a few more hands. The once clear field was now brimming with assorted black creatures, fighting the blue haired man and others around him. Every now and then a dark figure would look towards Ichigo, but then one of the fighters would dispatch it and move on. Ichigo didn't know what to do. He wanted to run, far, far away from this carnage, but the blonde's insistent hand on his shoulder kept him grounded.

"Come on, Ichi. Hold my hand and close your eyes!"

"Wait!"

Before the teenager could question him, the other man grabbed his hand frantically and called a few words out while touching his wrist. Ichigo barely had enough time to remember to close his eyes before he was spiraling out of control, lost in his own subconscious.

Ichigo vaguely remembered the rough landing that followed. He fell to the ground, barely holding on to the last strands of his consciousness. His name was called over and over by different voices, many of which Ichigo didn't recognize. He was manhandled, transported, and stuck with needles all within a matter of minutes, or so Ichigo thought because he didn't really comprehend how much time had passed.

By the time Ichigo was finally settled down on a bed, he lost that string of consciousness and fell out of it, hoping the people who had saved him weren't evil after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: End<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Start**

* * *

><p><strong>"Is he alright?"<strong>

"Calm down, Grimmjow. He is unharmed. It seems as if his body is just reacting to the stress."

"I don't blame him."

"Mh."

"Are you sure that's all?"

Starrk groaned as his friend paced around the room, looking towards Ichigo's sleeping figure every few seconds. Although light, Grimmjow's footsteps sounded much louder in Ichigo's eerily quiet room.

"He's been asleep for a week, Starrk, _a week._"

After rescuing Ichigo from the attack, the poor teenager had fallen asleep on the bed and had remained that way for seven days now, and probably more to come. Grimmjow was almost distraught with worry, and the rest of the team came and visited everyday as well. Ichigo was important to everyone, desperately important.

"Let him heal. As long as he is alive, we are okay."

Grimmjow growled and eyed up his friend. "Do not talk about my partner that way."

"I didn't say anything wrong."

With a deep sigh Grimmjow sat down in the off white chair next to Ichigo's bed, the chair he usually sat or slept in. His emotions were running all over the place ever since he had finally located Ichigo. With just one look, Grimmjow had known it was Ichigo. The orange hair didn't change, even after all these years.

"I'm sorry, Starrk. I'm just-"

"You don't have to say it." Starrk held up a hand and smiled. "Really, I understand."

"Thanks."

Starrk stood up to leave, grabbing Grimmjow's attention once more.

"I was just about to go out with Shiro for some practice, you want to tag along?"

Grimmjow looks once more at his sleeping partner's face, and opens his mouth to utter a rejection, but Starrk interrupts him.

"It'll do you some good. You look like death on legs, Grimmjow, and if we're attacked you won't do any good."

The reasoning is fair, and Grimmjow can see how he had let himself go after finding his partner and now being able to train with him; it was taking its toll on him, mentally and physically.

"Fine then, but I'm coming back in after two hours. No longer."

Starrk sighs and opens the door to the hallway."Fine, fine."

* * *

><p>The familiar white chair crashed against the wall and splintered into different pieces.<p>

Why wouldn't Ichigo wake up?

Grimmjow grabbed a nearby vase, and rolled it between his hands gently.

Was he doing something wrong?

With a roar of outrage the vase crashed against the white wall, leaving shards of glass along the flooring and some still stuck in the wallpaper. When he glanced at Ichigo and noticed a few pieces laying beside him on the white bedsheet, Grimmjow cleaned up the mess he had made and pulled a new chair up to calm his attitude.

Two weeks.

Two full weeks since Ichigo had come to the base, and still he would not wake up. Grimmjow was about shot, unable to do much more than sit by Ichigo's bedside and watch his sleeping face for signs of movement. Sometime Grimmjow read to him; past journals, random novels, newspaper articles, anything that might spark Ichigo's awareness and bring him back.

The door creaked as it opened and closed behind him. Grimmjow craned his neck around to see who was entering the room, thinking it was Starrk, who was often here, but his eyes find the lazy smile of Urahara coming to sit next to him.

"Ah, hello Grimmjow! How is he doing?"

"No changes, yet."

"Well," Urahara claps his hands together softly. "We're just going to have to change that, aren't we?"

Grimmjow's eyes widen. He looks over at Urahara who is smiling bigger than he's ever seen, and he chokes on his words.

"Did you-Did you find some way to wake him up?"

Urahara's smile stays as he nods his head.

"Fucking do it then!"

Urahara laughs behind his brown fan, and stands up to get closer to Ichigo's dormant body. The teen doesn't look to be in any sort of pain, his breathing was regular, and everything about his outside physical appearance looked completely taken care of. Urahara couldn't help but wonder how badly Ichigo's mind was, and if it was fixable at all.

"It seems that there is a spell we've been overlooking, one that will forcibly wake someone from this deep sleep they've been dragged into. However," Urahara glances over at the blunette with a determined look. "It may be very painful, and very harmful to the body. We've never used it before, so..."

"Shit." Grimmjow starts pacing around the room. He needed Ichigo to wake up, needed someone to fight beside, but if he died...this whole cycle would have to start over again. Never-ending, it seemed.

"Do it. We have to."

The room temperature drops in degrees, and the cold air caresses Grimmjow as he stands, frozen to the spot he had paced to. Urahara steels his mind, and places his right hand over Ichigo's chest. He then summoned to words to the front of his mind, and recited the words as he had read them.

Time seemed to go in slow motion.

The words ceased, and Urahara stepped back, now knowing what to expect. Ichigo didn't move.

"No!" Grimmjow fell to his knees in desperation. This was fucking unbelievable! He'd never had this much trouble in the past!

"Wait." Urahara came over to Grimmjow and offered his hand to help him up. Grimmjow accepted it and stood on shaking knees. "Look."

Ichigo's forehead was furrowed as if he were in concentration, and his lips had parted to take in a deep breath.

"No way."

Grimmjow walked over to his downed partner and gently grasped the tan hand within his own, intertwining the fingers. When those cold fingers twitched in his Grimmjow barked out a sudden laugh. The rush of joy was more addicting than drug, and he was becoming addicted to this 'happy feeling'. Urahara must have been wearing off on him.

Slowly but surely one ocher eye peeked open and landed on him. Grimmjow's smile could have lit up the world.

"Ichigo!" he said, smiling. Urahara walked over next to him with a matching smile.

But the shrill cry of pain that left Ichigo's lips drained every bit of happiness from him, and the world stood still.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: End<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Start**

* * *

><p><strong>The pain was excruciating.<strong>

Every cell in his body was screaming, and shock waves flooded through every sense in his body. Ichigo swore he was dying. He grabbed at his head as the pounding became so intense he thought it would explode any second.

"Urahara, do something!" a man with blue hair screamed at the other with desperation. His hands gently caressed Ichigo's cheeks, wiping away the stray tears.

"There's nothing I can do. He'll have to get through it on his own." the blond man said with a sad tone, barely heard over Ichigo's screaming.

"Fuck you!" the blue haired man looked Ichigo in the eyes as his hands kept stroking his face and arms reassuringly. Ichigo tried to keep his attention on that beautiful figure above him, but it was hard when pain was shooting through his body constantly.

Ichigo's vision blurred, and for a few moments he feared he would fall asleep once more. Every attempt to clear his head failed, and memories merged together until Ichigo couldn't tell reality from the inside of his own mind.

"Ichi?" the blunette stood over him once more.

Ichigo would have pushed the other man's hand away from his own, but the sudden calm feeling that settled over him made him only grasp on tighter. The pain slowly drained away, and, out of fear the pain would return, Ichigo wove his fingers through the other's. It felt so right, so familiar. Ichigo raked his brain for memories of someone with blue hair, but he came up blank. How come he felt as if he had met this man before?

"Thank God." one of the men sighed. "Are you okay? Ichigo?"

Ichigo couldn't figure out how to make his mouth work, so instead he turned his head to look at the blond man. A smile was etched onto his face, so large Ichigo thought it shouldn't be real.

"Oh, it is good to see you awake again, my dear! I thought I would never see your beautiful eyes ever again!" the blond man cried dramatically.

"Shut your fuckin' mouth!" his hostile eyes turned gentle as he gazed at Ichigo's still figure.

"We have a lot to talk about. Shall we wait until Ichigo's a bit better, Grimm?" as the blond man said Grimmjow's nickname he flicked his eyes to Ichigo's face.

Grimm.

Something wasn't adding up.

"Grimm? Is that...you?" Ichigo bit his lip as he looked up at the blue-haired man through his orange bangs. His eyes held many questions, but they were _the_ eyes. The ones they had been looking for.

He nodded, a small inclination of his head. "Yeah. I'm Grimmjow."

"And I'm Urahara. The others are in another room, would you like to meet them? Or would you rather wait to answer your question so-"

"Yes please." Ichigo voice louder than his usual voice. "I want to know what's happening. About the monster, about you, about what's going on here."

The two men, "Grimmjow" and "Urahara", Ichigo reminded himself, nodded to each other. Grimmjow sat back down next to him and once again wove his fingers through Ichigo's own. Again, he didn't pull away. Urahara left with a grin, and a few seconds after leaving he re-entered with a few extras in tow.

"Ichigo!"

"Well, look at that."

"Hey kid."

"'ey, King!"

Ichigo blushed at all the attention. Grimmjow just gripped his hand tighter to reassure him, and, to Ichigo's amazement, it worked. All of his anxieties ran through his body and left through the area where their hands were interlocked. It was amazing. One of the men who entered made Ichigo's eyes widen comically.

He must have noticed, and he laughed. "Remember me, Kid?"

Ichigo nodded. "But who are all of you? Why did you save me the other night? What's so important about me?"

"We will get to that. Let me introduce you first?" Urahara retook his seat on Ichigo's other side. Ichigo nodded at him and braced himself.

"Okay."

The brown haired man Ichigo recognized fell to one knee and bowed. "My name is Starrk. It is...good to see you awake once more, Kid."

Ichigo scoffed. Being called that made him feel inferior, even though he felt as if it were just silly. "Don't call me a kid."

Starrk rose. "As you wish, Kid."

The next to bow was a voluptuous woman with teal hair only a few shades off from Grimmjow's own. Her eyes were wide and childlike, and the large smile on her face never wavered.

"I'm Nelliel, but call me Nel. I'm Grimmjow's sister and your..." the warning look Grimmjow gave her made he stop speaking. " I've missed you so much Ichigo, can I hug you?"

Ichigo felt awkward as she rose and slipped her arms around his neck. Ichigo slowly rose his free hand around the woman's back, and the sniffle that sounded made the atmosphere even worse. When she finally rose Ichigo noticed her tears and gaped.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Just missed you, is all."

"If you're sure..."

Her watery gray eyes reflected the light off of the overhead bulb, and they twinkled like stars on the clearest night. For some reason, however, Ichigo could not help but remind himself that her eyes paled in comparison to a certain someone's ocean-like ones.

"So you're Grimmjow's sister? I shouldn't have to ask that actually, you both look terrible alike. Except for the eyes, that is." Ichigo's blush rose as the words fell from his mouth like a waterfall. Sometimes, when he talked, Ichigo realized he just couldn't shut up.

"She got mother's eyes." Grimmjow whispered to him quickly while the others started arguing over something. "And I got dad's."

"Don't tell her this, but..." Ichigo leaned in even closer to shield his words for everyone but Grimmjow. "Your eyes are better."

Grimmjow's answering smile was contagious, and as he turned back Ichigo was face to face with a paler copy of himself.

"'ey King. Nice to finally see you 'wake again! Thought you'd sleep forever!"

Ichigo openly gaped at the man. He was strange, but not the bad kind of strange. It was the kind of strange that piqued Ichigo's scientific side. Ichigo's skin crawled as he fought off the questions waiting to be fired off at the mirror-like image of himself.

"I'm Shiro, your faithful horse." he bowed his head lightly, and the disarray of white spikes framed his head like a halo.

"Are we-?"

"Nope!" Shiro interrupted him quickly with a maniacal grin. "We're not related. I am, however, at yer disposal King."

Ichigo inhaled a shuttering breath. 'King'? What a silly title for one such as himself. Why did these people hold him with such high regard?

The people in the room continued introducing themselves. Szayel, Nnoitra, Tesla, and many other names that didn't register with Ichigo's slowly deteriorating mind. Now that the fun was over Urahara caught Ichigo's attention again.

"This is our team, we have fought throughout the ages. And you, Ichigo, you're at the center of it all."

* * *

><p>The next few days passed rather quickly. Ichigo was up and moving withing hours of his original awakening time, despite Grimmjow's relentless protesting. Many of the team members he had already met showed him around the enormous estate, and Nel even gave him tips on finding his room from different places. She also mentioned how to find Grimmjow's room, but Ichigo tuned her out as his ears turned pink.<p>

The only thing that bothered Ichigo was the bodyguards.

No matter where he went there were always eyes watching him. Ichigo figured it wasn't supposed to cause any problems with him, but damn it, it was driving him crazy! It's like they expected him to be attacked at any given moment!

Ichigo's current bodyguard was one that he didn't mind too much. Tesla. The smaller man rarely talked, and when he did he only answered questions given by Ichigo.

So Ichigo asked a lot of questions.

Many times Tesla's answers led to the same central person. Nnoitra. It wasn't long til Ichigo had figured out Telsa was in love with the tall, intimidating man. But the orangette didn't mind. Love was love, and he was happy that his friend had something so dear to his heart. Speaking of.

Grimmjow hadn't resurfaced today, and Ichigo was becoming more and more nervous. Many things were still a mystery about this place, about these people, but Ichigo did know that Grimmjow was linked to him. He had known it since they first laid eyes on each other, like it had happened before in the past.

"Do you know where Grimmjow is?" Ichigo looked over at the blond male.

"Ah, you probably didn't know. Many of our other members returned today. He was more than likely required to welcome them back, which is why I was your bodyguard today. I don't deal with the fighting part of this..." Telsa trailed off looking nervous.

"Other members? Where were they?"

"Off fighting I'd bet. You may not know much about what we do here yet, but we are always fighting. Never do they stop, even in their death."

Ichigo stopped his wiggling and tried to grab Telsa's avoiding eyes, but they stayed trained on the white carpet floor. Ichigo gave a huff.

"Why am I here, Tesla? What's so important about me?" Ichigo noticed Tesla stayed still and silent. "Don't I deserve to know that at least?"

Tesla's internal battle won out, much to Ichigo's relief, and he finally rose his head. Ichigo bit his lip, awaiting the answer to the one question he would never get an answer to.

"Well-!"

"Hey Ichi." Grimmjow popped out from behind Ichigo and the orangette jumped. His racing heart took a few moments to calm down, but when it did Ichigo turned on Grimmjow with an angry frown.

"Grimmjow! How dare you sneak up on me like that!"

His laugh was deep and sensuous, which only made Ichigo's heart race faster. Ichigo figured his heart would flutter away if he didn't move away from the delicious tanned skin only centimeters away from his own. He made to move, but as he stepped away Grimmjow gripped his arm, pulled him back even closer, and threaded his fingers through Ichigo's.

"I'm sorry Ichi. I hope I didn't interrupt anything _important_ between you and Tesla here?"

Oh yeah. Tesla _had _been forgotten. Ichigo glanced his way, meaning to get the answer he was awaiting, but Tesla looked tense and ready to dart like a deer.

"Oh, not a-at all Grimmjow! We weren't talking about anything important! U-uh, see ya later Ichigo!" with a watery smile Tesla turned on his heels and practically ran from Ichigo's direction. _Shit_, Ichigo thought to himself, _there goes the answer I needed_.

"That's what I thought."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ichigo stuck his tongue out childishly. "Of course."

"Well," Grimmjow turned the way he had come from before. "We have a few people you need to meet. Are you okay with going now? Or should we grab a bite to ear or something else-?"

Ichigo put his free hand over Grimmjow's mouth, earning him a wet lick on his dry palm. "Disgusting, Grimm!"

Ichigo wiped his hand off while Grimmjow laughed. "Anyways, let's go. I want to meet these people. But I also want to know the truth. Don't make me regret coming with you instead of chasing Tesla down while I still have the chance."

Grimmjow ruffled Ichigo's wild orange hair. Today it was even messier than before, and Grimmjow wasn't exactly helping.

"Don't worry, you won't regret this. I have a feeling you'll embrace these members like they were...let's say, old friends."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: End<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Start**

* * *

><p><strong>The room was full of people.<strong>

Ichigo walked in with Grimmjow leading, and as soon as he passed through the doorway everyone's attention was completely on him. Grimmjow touched his shoulder reassuringly and led him to a couch to settle in to. Ichigo kept his curious eyes downcast as the gazes flitted over his body enough to make him feel violated. He sat down quickly and sighed in relief as his partner took a seat right next to him.

"Lookie there, the happy couple reunited. How _disgusting._"

"Hiyori!"

"And look! Ichigo's a man this time? A man? Poor Grimmjow, he's probably about to lose it."

"Come on Hiyori-"

"I didn't know you liked dick, Grimm-chan!"

Ichigo didn't know whether to throw-up, stare, or die. Instead he buried his face into the palms of his hands to hide the look of horror that had spread across his face. The little tremors made Ichigo feel ever more embarrassed.

_Who the hell were these people?_

Next to him a deep growl came from the rigid form of Grimmjow. If Ichigo hadn't know any better he would have thought it was an animal making such a horrifying noise.

"He doesn't know yet, you jackasses!" Grimmjow practically seethed. Silence followed his outburst, and Ichigo fought the urge to cry as everyone's eyes once again stayed trained on him.

Ichigo peeked through his fingers just in time to see a blond man smack the smaller girl over the head. "Idiot!"

Urahara walked in at that moment, a fan covering his smile and a hand over his heart. His blond eyebrows were drawn up high in amusement as he surveyed the people in the room and the tense atmosphere.

"Grimm..." Ichigo whispered from behind his hands.

"Yeah, Ichi?"

"I thought you said-I thought you said I wouldn't regret this."

Grimmjow frowned at this and glared at the blond girl who was currently looking away from the two on the couch with a scowl. The orangette finally removed his hands and looked up with tears in his eyes, and Urahara smirked as he saw the hearts of everyone in the room break: including Hiyori.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo." Grimmjow intertwined their hands, hoping to sooth the younger man.

"I thought you said they were old friends."

The blond man from earlier stepped forward. "We were, we _are_. I'm Shinji, and that _brat_ over there is my partner Hiyori. Sorry about what she said earlier, she didn't mean any of it."

Urahara walked into the middle of the room and threw an arm over Shini's shoulder. "We've missed you! And you have perfect timing, as always!"

Shinji pushed the other man off of him and face palmed. "We didn't miss you, Idiot."

"Ichigo," Urahara began with a serious voice. "For the last five hundred years, all of us in this room have been together fighting."

Ichigo started to open his mouth to ask how in the world that was even possible, but Urahara smiled and held a finger to his lips.

"I'll get to it all, I promise. I have retold this story many times."

Ichigo nodded and relaxed back into the couch, squeezing Grimmjow's hand every now and then.

"Five hundred years ago, this group of people was chosen by God to remove the remaining devil souls left on the Earth. We were gifted with abilities to help us fight, to help us win, but we didn't. One by one, each of you fell until I was the only one left."

Ichigo sat in shock. Demons? It made sense now. The thing he had been attacked by...was...

"God showed me in a dream that you all would be reborn, over and over again until the task was finished. So far, as you can tell, we've yet to be successful." Urahara paused with a uncharacteristic sad smile.

"How do you find us, then?" Ichigo managed to get out.

"It's not easy!" Urahara laughed. "I'll have a dream. In this dream I'll look through your eyes, and I take in as much as possible before waking up. I only get one dream per person, you see."

"And with me, what did you see?" Ichigo blinked, surprised at the information he was getting.

"The park we found you in. You went straight to the pond in my dream, so I figured it wasn't uncommon for you to visit there. I was right."

"Hm."

"Each person is assigned another half of themselves, their perfect partner."

Seeing Ichigo's face turn red made Urahara quickly interrupt his thoughts. "Oh, no no no! Not in a relationship sort of way!"

Someone in the room sniggered and Grimmjow began to nearly crush Ichigo's hand. Ichigo winced and looked over, and Grimmjow quickly apologized and loosened his grip.

"Each pair is made so that the fighters are at their complete best. Shinji and Hiyori, for example, are partners. Shinji has the power of ice, whereas Hiyori is fast. Shinji is a good leader, whereas Hiyori is quick-tempered."

"Hey!"

"The pairings are meant to keep equilibrium. It's hard to explain, you see. You'll have to wait to get some hands-on experience to see for yourself!"

Ichigo chanced a look at Grimmjow. "You're...you're my...?"

"Mh."

Ichigo gave a soft smile. "Okay."

It was so strange knowing that someone was the perfect fit for you, but...Ichigo looked down at their intertwined hands. Hadn't Urahara said that these partnerships weren't...romantic? Ichigo made a mental note to ask about it later.

"You, Ichigo...you're the final piece. The most important piece."

Ichigo gaped up at Urahara, his mouth wide with shock.

"We cannot win this without you."

* * *

><p>The bed just wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. The white ceiling above was the sole thing hold Ichigo's outward attention, but on the inside Ichigo was in turmoil. Demons? Reincarnation? Hunters? Ichigo didn't know which idea was more silly.<p>

"Here, tea."

The sudden sound of Grimmjow's rough voice caused Ichigo's body to lurch. When had he gotten here? Tentatively taking the small cup of tea and looking into Grimmjow's oceanic eyes, Ichigo found himself drawn to the question he had asked himself earlier.

"Grimmjow..." Ichigo paused, trying to locate the precise words he would use. The sudden onslaught of nerves almost made Ichigo choke and forget about saying anything at all. Almost.

"Hm? What's up?" Grimmjow set Ichigo's teacup on the dresser next to his bed, and perched next to the tense boy he called his partner.

"Something has been bugging me; about what Urahara said earlier."

Grimmjow sat silently and waited for Ichigo to continue with what he was saying.

"He said-he said these partnerships weren't romantic, but yet..." Ichigo trailed off, hoping Grimmjow understood what he was trying to get across.

"Ah, I should'a seen this comin'. Ichigo, it's really hard to explain...maybe you should wait a little longer, when you're more comfortable with what's going on around here." Grimmjow stood and started pacing the room leisurely, distracting himself from the pout directed straight at him.

"I want to know now." Ichigo licked his lips. "I deserve to know."

With a groan of frustration and a huff, Grimmjow began to relent. Ichigo smiled as he realized how much of a hold he truly did have over this other man.

"Ichigo, you see-"

"Hollows!" the scream echoed throughout the room and down the hallways, quickly eliciting a chain reaction. Multiple shouts were heard, orders were screamed, and doors slammed and opened as everyone rushed-to get away or to go towards the danger, Ichigo didn't know.

"Damn it! Ichigo, stay here."

Ichigo gave him a hard stare. _Oh, really?_

"Don't move. I'm not kidding, Ichigo. Stay in this room."

A large crash sounded not too far from Ichigo's room, and Grimmjow gritted his teeth in frustration. Dirt has accumulated into the air and was hindering the view of the incoming hollows, and Ichigo gave a small cough as he inhaled a bit of it.

"Listen, if you stay here and keep yourself out of danger, I'll tell you everything. Everything about us, about you. I promise. _Now, _promise me you'll stay here."

Ichigo jumped as another crash hit outside, closer this time. Much closer. The terrified look Grimmjow was giving him wasn't helping much, either.

"Promise me!"

"I-I promise, Grimm!" Ichigo inhaled a shuddering breath. "I promise."

Grimmjow hesitated for a brief second before turning oh his heel and running through the door, slamming it closed behind himself. A terrible shriek pierced Ichigo's ears, and he hunched over with his hands over his ears, unsuccessfully trying to block that all-too-familiar sound. The hollow, no doubt. Just like the one that had tried to kill him before.

It was times like this, with Grimmjow missing from his side, that Ichigo felt at his worst. He was worried for his blue-haired companion, out fighting monsters. It was then that Ichigo had an unnerving thought that rang from his head to the tips of his toes.

_Wasn't I a hunter, too? Wasn't I supposed to be fighting?_ Ichigo thought to himself.

Grimmjow was fighting without his partner, so he wasn't at his best. Ichigo jerked suddenly, glancing around the room for any kind of weapon, but found nothing of use. It was probably that way on purpose.

_But, I promised Grimm I'd stay here, stay safe. Dammit!_

It wasn't like he could do anything anyways. He didn't know how to fight! Especially _those _things. Grimmjow was probably upset that he was stuck with someone as useless as himself for all of these years.

And now Ichigo was upset, angry, worried, and terribly confused. He almost cried, the urge resting close to the edge, but Ichigo resisted. He had his dignity, at the very least. Ichigo paused, listening for a sound. The whole institution was silent now, no screaming, no crashes.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo let out a breath he'd unintentionally been holding as blue hair peeked into the door.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?" Grimmjow fully walked in then, making Ichigo's breath catch.

A black substance was all over Grimmjow's body, staining his clothing from shirt to shoes. Ichigo remembered the time at the lake. The black blood of a hollow.

"Am I okay? I'm fine, but you...!" Quicker than Grimmjow could blink Ichigo was fretting over his body like a mother hen. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Ichigo asked hopefully.

"Mm. I'm good."

"And no one was hurt?"

The genuine smile made Ichigo's heart jump. "Not a one."

It _was _good news. Although Ichigo hadn't know the people here for very long in this life, they were all very close in previous ones, and no doubt given time they would be friends once again. That made Ichigo think of Grimmjow and his question once more.

"I'm glad." Ichigo sighed. "But you need to clean up. We've a lot to talk about, hm?"

As Grimmjow showered in the next room, Ichigo pondered. Pondered about the hollows, his new life, Grimmjow naked in the shower.

Ichigo shot up from lying down on the bed. G-Grimmjow...naked? The red flush that infected his skin seemed to be permanent, and as Ichigo heard the water turn off he attempted harder to return to his normal skin color. Except...Ichigo figured Grimmjow was just now starting to towel dry his body, every inch of muscle dripping with lick-able water droplets. The blush was back, but this time Ichigo didn't fight it. He was too busy enjoying himself to care.

As Grimmjow entered the room Ichigo couldn't help but think that Grimmjow really did look as good as he had figured he would. A white, fluffy towel was laying on the top of his partner's head, and only a few pieces of blue hair peeked out. The shirt he wore was gray and a bit wet so it stuck to his skin more so than it should, and the black sweats were riding low. Ichigo had to fight for air as an onslaught of saliva filled his mouth. Yum.

"I used to work for the man who controls the hollows. His name's Aizen, he's..." Grimmjow cleared his throat. "terrible, evil, whatever adjective you want to describe him with. I left, started working with Urahara."

"Why'd you leave?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow had said that man, Aizen, was evil, but for some reason Ichigo didn't figure that sole thing had prompted him to switch sides. Grimmjow's sudden look told Ichigo he was correct.

"I left because of you, Ichigo." Grimmjow looked at the floor, all of a sudden finding the white carpeting extremely interesting.

"Me?"

"We're lovers. We always have been."

Shock wasn't a word Ichigo would use to describe what he was feeling. Grimmjow had been his lover all these years, through every reincarnation? It was nearly unbelievable.

"I was so happy to hear that Urahara had found you, I nearly ripped the park apart trying to find you." Grimmjow laughed at the memory. "I found the orange hair, you always have orange hair. I found your eyes, I found those things, but you were different."

Ichigo clreared his throat. "Different?"

"All these years, all these lifetimes...with you as a female." Grimmjow looked up to watch the last bit of color rush from his lover's face. "This is the first time that you've ever been reborn a male."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: End<strong>

****_Pssst: This story will be similar to an anime called Betrayal Knows my Name. Be warned._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Start**

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo froze.<strong>

All those lifetimes, all those years fighting, and he had been a woman. Every single time. A woman who was in love with Grimmjow. They were partners, but somehow fate had screwed up. Somewhere along the line a piece of Ichigo had altered, and it changed everything.

"A woman?" Ichigo laughed, failing to keep his building hysteria at bay. "I can't even imagine me with tits."

Grimmjow smiled, but on the inside his emotions were spinning. Was Ichigo disgusted? Was telling him about their past enough to push his already teetering body off of the edge? Grimmjow, however upset he was, couldn't bring himself to regret telling the orangette. Ichigo was sure to find out one way or another, and it was better coming from himself anyways.

"Look, I know it's a lot, but don't freak out."

"'Don't freak out? You're kidding me. Right?"

As Grimmjow went to inhale, he realized just how badly his body was shaking. His hands wouldn't stop moving, and his knees threatened to give out at any moment. This rejection shit was doing quite a number on his body.

"I'm sorry." Grimmjow let his head hang in an almost shameful way. His heart hurt.

"Do you love me?"

Grimmjow's head shot up and his eyes caught Ichigo's again as quickly as he could manage. Grimmjow bit his lip. It wasn't really much of a question.

"Of course. I-I told you during the beginning, when we first fell in love, that I would never stop loving you, no matter what form you took."

Ichigo's body seemed to start pacing on its own accord. Tightened fists stayed hidden in the darkness of his pockets, and the frown on his face felt like it would stay there forever. Ichigo looked at Grimmjow's own sadden infused face, how his eyes held a look of terrible sorrow, and his stance was one of someone defeated.

_When am I going to stop hurting him?_ Ichigo thought to himself.

"You still love me, even though I'm a man?" Ichigo turned away from looking at the wall and faced Grimmjow will a determined look.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"And you'd love me, even if I only had one eye and my legs were missing?"

Grimmjow snorted and finally broke the eye contact in favor of looking down again. "Please do not take this so lightly, Ichigo."

"Would you?" The deep, insistent voice called out to Grimmjow, no matter how hard he tried to look away. No matter anything, really. His only weakness.

"Yes, even then."

"Then it's okay."

Ichigo smiled as the blue-haired man stood abruptly and took small, shaking steps towards him. His blue eyes were tinted with uncertainty, but yet he held a hand outstretched towards his lover.

"Ichigo?" He asked, voice brimming with a sea of emotion.

"It's okay, because I can love you too. Not yet, but I know I will."

Grimmjow's heart stopped as Ichigo's own hand stretched out and grabbed his own, intertwining the fingers like he himself usually did. With a uncharacteristically larger smile, Grimmjow tugged on Ichigo's hand and brought him into his awaiting arms. Ichigo's laughs only made his grin wider, if that was even possible.

"God, Ichigo!" The larger man whispered as he tightened his hold on Ichigo's small frame. As he inhaled his nose was filled with the familiar scent of Ichigo, and Grimmjow let out a laugh full of disbelief.

"You-I-we-" Grimmjow laughed at his own stupidity. "I-I don't even know what to say!"

Ichigo gently pulled himself out of the bluenette's arms, his body protesting as he left the heat for chilled air. Although they had been sharing body heat on seconds before, the cold air in the room hit Ichigo's skin like a snowball to the face. _He's so warm._

"Well," Ichigo started with a mocking smile. "You can ask me on a date, or maybe even ask me to be your boyfriend."

A large hand wove into Ichigo's bright orange locks and gently played with the hair it found. A sigh of content left the orangette's lips and the hand started to scratch lightly. Ichigo couldn't help but feel like some sort of animal at that moment, a dog reveling in his master's touch.

But Grimmjow wasn't his master. He was his _lover_.

"Will you be mine, Ichi? My only love?" Grimmjow asked sweetly as he removed his hand from the orange locks and cradled Ichigo's beautiful face in his hands.

"O-of course I will."

"Are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

Ichigo closed his eyes to think. "I don't think I am, but-"

"Good." Grimmjow kissed Ichigo's tan forehead. "We'll be leaving at six. Wear something nice."

With that, the taller man winked at the stunned man in front of him and walked away, closing the door behind him as he went. When Ichigo's heart finally stopped beating like a war drum, the realization of what had just happened hit him. Red crawled up his neck and to his ears.

"Damn it." Ichigo said to himself. "I don't have anything to wear."

* * *

><p>Later that day, as Ichigo passed the living room where Grimmjow was watching TV, he was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea. Ichigo had never really been on a date with anyone before, and it probably had something to do with the fact that he had always been promised to <em>him<em>. To Grimm.

So, when Ichigo noticed Grimmjow's little sister exiting the room, Ichigo followed until they were out of Grimmjow's hearing range before running up to her.

"Hey, hey Nel!" He called to get her attention.

She paused in her walking, and turned to face the boy walking towards her at a quick pace. When Ichigo finally reached her they stood in an awkward silence, each contemplating what to say.

"I need your help with something." Ichigo asked quietly.

"What's up Ichi?"

"Grimmjow asked me on a date and-" Ichigo tried to explain, but stopped as Nel held in a delighted scream, her eyes bulging with contained excitement.

"You're kidding." She asked, and Ichigo shook his head with a small smile.

"Let's go to my room!"

She reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling him so quickly down the hallway that he almost fell face-first onto the floor. It only took a moment for his brain to right itself, and he straightened up and followed the tall woman down the hall. Her sea-green hair gently flowed behind her, and Ichigo was genuinely struck by her beauty. Not in a romantic way, of course.

Her room was pink, and not just a little pink. It was so covered in the bright color that Ichigo almost had to squint upon entering. It certainly wasn't something he'd been expecting.

"Go on, sit down! I make clothing, so I'm sure I have something fabulous in here for you! Hang on just a sec!" She swung open a door that looked like it lead into a closet, but with a closer look Ichigo noticed it went into another room full of equipment and clothing. Ichigo gently plopped down on the overly pick bed and waiting on the bubbly woman to return.

His eyes trailed around the room, landing on bookshelves and paintings. A laptop was stationed in one of the corners, the animated screen-saver signaling it was still on. Ichigo played with his thumbs while waiting patiently for Nel to return. As if by an unknown force, Ichigo's eyes glued to a picture frame. Something about it...

Ichigo couldn't help but stand and gingerly walk over to it. It was a picture of Nel, more or less, looking a bit older. Her eyes were closed as she smiled at the camera, but that wasn't what caught Ichigo's attention. What did was the very obvious form of Grimmjow, his own smile matching her's and an arm casually slung over her thin shoulders. In a moment of revelation Ichigo realized this picture was from a different life. He looked around, searching for others, and when he did he almost tripped over his feet in his haste. Grimmjow and Nel were both in this picture, but this time there was a third standing in between them. A woman.

With bright orange hair.

The orange-haired female had Grimmjow's hand clasped in her own, and her other arm looped through Nel's. Grimmjow's hair style was once again different, which led the stoic observer to believe it was _another_ time period.

"That's you, ya know."

Ichigo almost dropped to the ground with fear. Almost. Instead, he turned around, keeping quiet as he noticed how upset Nel's expression was.

"That picture was taken three lifetimes ago. It was the day Grimmjow finally asked you out that lifetime, and you came running to me." She laughed. " I made that dress for you, like I always do."

"Nel..." Ichigo started as the woman started to cry.

"No, don't worry about me! I'm okay, I promise." She tried to laugh it off. "Anyways, I found something ultra cute for you. Here, try it on!"

Ichigo grabbed the bundle of clothes in a haze, walked into the closet, and changed with a overworking mind.

This had happened before. Many times.

The black dress pants fit nicely. Ichigo slid the white wife beater on before buttoning up the snug white dress shirt. The tie was medium length and gray, and the orangette agreed with the neutral colors. Anything and everything clashed with his hair. Before exiting Ichigo tucked the shirt into his pants.

"How do I look?" he asked almost timidly, posing so he could make her smile, even if only a little.

Her eyes cleared of their sadness, and her frown reversed as she exclaimed. "Perfect! It's the best one yet!"

* * *

><p>Ichigo was nervous.<p>

Wait, that was a fucking understatement.

"Ichi, you look perfect. And _besides_ Grimmy loves you for you." Nel finished putting the scarf around Ichigo's tense neck.

"Yeah." Ichigo smiled as he remembered Grimmjow telling him the very same thing just a few hours ago himself. His heart was beating with excitement, nerves, and whatever other mix of adjectives to describe his first date.

Well, in this life.

"Grimm just texted me and said he'd be down in a minute. You ready?"

"As much as I can be, I guess!"

"Come on, you look fine!" Nel insisted as Ichigo tried fixing his hair for the seventh time.

"That's true." A deep voice came from behind Ichigo, and he froze at the sound of that wonderful voice.

Grimmjow looked good enough to _eat, _Ichigo mumbled inside his head.

A smile lit Grimmjow's face before he extended his hand towards Ichigo, waiting for him to take it. This time Ichigo didn't hesitate to weave his fingers through the hand he was getting used to holding. Ichigo walked into his arms, and the taller man gave his a gentle hug.

"Ready?" Grimmjow whispered.

Ichigo nodded and moved to leave along with Grimmjow's

"Wait!" Nel called. They both turned to see her waving a camera around, the now familiar sad smile once again on her face. "For the memories."

Although Ichigo was really against getting his picture taken, he understood why Nel wanted to so badly. Just because Ichigo was still behind on his memories didn't mean that he failed to see that this might not be the final life. Might not be the final first date.

"Okay Nel."

He moved in close the Grimmjow, and gave a genuine smile to appease the uncharacteristically quiet woman. The flash clicked, and then the camera was lowered.

"I'll put it in a frame and date it. You guys have fun!"

* * *

><p>Ichigo held Grimmjow's hand as he drove the sleek black car. The light in the sky was fading by this time, and the stars were coming out and decorating the clear sky. The music in the car was turned off, but the silence wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, because their souls knew each other so well, even if their current bodies and minds did not. Grimmjow pulled the car into a parking lot, and Ichigo stepped out and sized the building up with his eyes.<p>

"This looks awful fancy." Ichigo remarked.

Grimmjow scoffed. "That's 'cause it is."

The inside was even more impressive than the out. The crowds of people were dignified and dressed in a similar fashion to Grimmjow and Ichigo. Ichigo was relieved he'd gotten someone to dress him. He hadn't been expecting...this.

"This way Ichi." Grimmjow tugged on his hand.

They followed the waiter to a table set so far off from the other people that no one could see them from any angle, no matter which way they twisted. Ichigo reluctantly sat down on the cushioned chair as Grimmjow held it out for him, and he followed the other man's body as he sat down across from him.

"It's awful private." The orangette fiddled with the edge of the pristine white tablecloth.

With a nostalgic sigh, Grimmjow smiled. "We always sit here."

"Oh."

"Ichi...it would be best not to think too much about it." Grimmjow suggested.

The thought was nice. There was, however, no possible way to stop thinking about it. In fact, it's all Ichigo _had_ been thinking about since he had woken up with the strange people who'd saved him. Sometimes the sheer force of his thoughts made him want to be sick, but he kept that fact to himself.

"Okay."

"Um," Grimmjow cleared his throat. "I already ordered for the both of us, too. You always-"

Grimmjow cut himself off with a guarded look.

"Not thinking about it." Ichigo reassured as best he could.

"I'm sorry."

Ichigo understood, he really did. He also understood that Grimmjow meant to harm by slipping up about his past, and the orangette let it slide off of him. He may still love the female version of his better, but he'd have to used to the male version now.

A nicely dressed waiter balanced two plates on his palms, setting a larger one in front of Grimmjow and the other in front of himself. Ichigo looked down, momentarily blanking on what it could possibly be on the plate.

"What is it?" Ichigo eyed the food before him. Giant noodles covered in cheese and some sort of tomato sauce. It was definitely an Italian dish.

"Manicotti. Try it." he urged, taking a bite of his own food.

Ichigo hesitated, his fork poised directly over the food. Grimmjow had said it was his favorite, but...

Ichigo shut his inner dialog up and took a bite, determined to make the best of the situation handed to him.

* * *

><p>"That was really good, Grim!" Ichigo peeked shyly at said man from the corner of his eye. "Thank you."<p>

Ichigo was nervous.

For the second time tonight, he was nervous.

And, on top of that, he didn't understand why.

"Anything for you, Ichi." Grimmjow ruffled Ichigo's famous orange hair affectionately. Ichigo giggled at the treatment, playfully pushing the hand away and trying to fix the mess back as best he could. After realizing it wouldn't go back, he laughed it off. It didn't matter, especially when Grimmjow was looking at his with suck a love-stricken gaze.

"I love you." Grimmjow whispered.

The shattering words made Ichigo stop moving, and alongside of that it also made his heart and his lungs freeze as well. Somehow, this time around, the way Grimmjow had whispered those three words was different. Something had changed, and now the words seemed...a lot more real.

"Grimm..."

"No," He interrupted, "don't say it back yet, unless you really mean it."

"Alright." Ichigo was upset with himself, but it wasn't the right time yet. However, if their relationship kept on this path...

"Hey, Ichi?" Grimmjow gently turned Ichigo's body so they were facing each other.

"Yeah?"

"Can I-can I kiss you?"

The thought of kissing the other man was even more delicious than the idea of having Manicotti again. He nodded, not trusting his voice and not wanting to break the tension in the air, for it was strung way too tight to be comfortable.

Grimmjow leaned forward, but since he was so much taller, Ichigo had to rise up on his tip-toes to reach those perfect lips. Ichigo wound his arms around Grimmjow's neck, and the bluenette wound his own around Ichigo's thin waist. Tempting lips were only a hair's width away from connecting now, but the stayed there, breathing each other in and making the moment last as long as they could. Ichigo moved to finally close the distance.

He closed his eyes, held his breath, and leaned in.

The ear piercing shriek caught Ichigo before the feeling of pain and soaring through the air.

And as his disoriented body hit the hood of a car with a sickening crunch, Ichigo passed out. His broken body slumped to the concrete, completely unaware of the voice screaming his name.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: End<strong>

_This hasn't been edited becauuuuse I'm sleepy. So, if you see errors, ignore them or something. I'll get to it eventually._


	6. It's Been Taken!

Heyo.

This story has been taken by: Akrximay.

So it's up to them to finish it! Thanks for everything. Here's a link, tell me if it doesn't work.

www. / u / 4161534 /Akrximay

For the last time,

LLD


End file.
